Please pardon our progress, we are currently upgrading our network and server systems to better protect against cyber attacks. Please follow us on the Jasper City Schools Facebook page for updates and announcements.

We urge you to stay safe by following recommendations put forth by public health officials regarding coronavirus.

Internet Resources for Students and Families

This information is in addition to the earlier post of local Internet hotspots.

Free WiFi for Online Learning During COVID-19

04/30/20 THE JOURNAL (source)

While Education Super Highwayrecently reported that the classroom connectivity gap was "now closed," with 99 percent of schools on fiber, that didn't take into account that school would move home in a time of coronavirus. The latest reporting by the Federal Communications Commission, found that the number of people lacking a connection of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload was 21.3 million in the United States at the end of 2017. Some 4.3 million were in rural America or tribal lands. According to Common Sense Media, that translated to almost 12 million children nationwide in homes without a broadband connection.

How school districts are getting education delivered to those students varies from location to location. To help your schools reach students who may lack broadband connectivity, here's a list of wireless networking options they may be able to take advantage of. We've listed those that are available in more than just a handful of states first.

We developed the compilation by starting with a list of telecommunications companies that have signed the Federal Communications Commission's "Keep Americans Connected" pledge. Editors culled through the list specifically seeking information online about those companies that provided free service to students in their coverage areas and/or free public WiFi hotspots that students could access for some portion of each day while sitting in their cars or otherwise being physically isolated from others in the vicinity.

We will continue updating this list as information becomes available. If you know of other services not included on the list, please send details with a link to rkelly@1105media.com.